Derry City's wait for a first away win of the campaign continues after they were pegged back twice by Dundalk at Oriel Park in a game where James McClean saw red late on.
James Clarke and Dipo Akinyemi had twice put the Candystripes ahead in the opening half but goals from Tyreke Wilson and Ronan Teahan denied Tiernan Lynch a much needed win in what was his 50th game in charge.
Indeed, they were fortunate to do so with Ciarán Kilduff’s side by the far the dominant team on the night, with Derry picking up nine yellows as they held on for another stalemate following on from Monday’s scoreless draw away to Sligo Rovers.
While the Co Louth side will feel this was two points dropped, their good run continues. For Derry, this result and performance will probably do little to ease the pressure on Lynch, who failed to acknowledge McClean after his late dismissal for two bookable offences in quick succession.
The first chance fell the home sides way after just three minutes when JR Wilson’s cross from the right picked out Keith Buckley at the back post but the veteran failed to get over his effort and headed tamely over.
Eoin Kenny and Gbemi Arubi then combined for the latter to release Declan McDaid four minutes later but his effort was pushed clear by Eddie Beach.
After Ben Doherty had fired over with the visitors’ first attempt minutes earlier, Derry then hit the front on 14 minutes. Enda Minogue got caught in no man’s land in racing off his line to meet Brandon Fleming’s ball but Doherty comfortably got there ahead of him to pull back for Clarke, who slid the ball to the net off the inside of the post.
It was largely the home side after that with stand-in captain Mayowa Animasahun forcing another good stop from Beach from Bobby Burns’ corner on 21 minutes before Arubi glanced another chance just wide six minutes later.
Dundalk did deservedly draw level on 35 minutes as Tyreke Wilson made it two goals in as many matches with a brilliant left foot strike from 25 yards out that crashed in off the right hand upright.
However, Derry would restore their lead in first-half stoppage time in somewhat fortunate circumstances. Doherty’s free came back off the wall but his follow up effort came off Akinyemi to wrong-foot Minogue to leave it 2-1 at the break.
The home side had a big chance to level six minutes after the restart when Harry Groome found space on the right to pull back to Kenny but Jamie Stott did superbly well to get across and deny the Derry-born player.
Beach then came to his side’s rescue again on 54 minutes when he spread himself wide to deny Harvey Warren at close range.
JR Wilson then blazed over from just a few yards out on his weaker left foot just three minutes later after Groome’s header from McDaid’s cross had broken his way.
Subtitute Ronan Teahan then forced another good stop from Beach on 65 minutes.
Dery had a chance to seal the game on 74 minutes when substitute Josh Thomas burst away from Warren on the right but with only Minogue to beat he curled agonisingly wide.
The leveller would arrive five minutes later as Tyreke Wilson’s header picked out Teahan unmarked to head past Beach to the bottom left hand corner.
Kenny then went so close to the lead goal on 86 minutes when he latched onto Arubi’s pass to hit a curling left foot shot that came back off the post.
Dundalk continued to push for a winner late on but despite McClean being dismissed for a second yellow for a high boot on Shane Tracey in the 95th minute, the visitors held out.
Dundalk: Minogue; JR Wilson, Animasahun, Warren, T Wilson; Burns (Dervin 60), Buckley (Teahan 60); McDaid, Groome (Tracey 60), Kenny; Arubi.
Derry City: Beach; Barr, Stott, Slevin (Dummigan 55); Cotter (Dos Santos), O’Reilly (J McClean 60), Winchester, Doherty, Fleming; Clarke (Olayinka 60); Akinyemi (Thomas 73).
Referee: Paul Norton.
